Bernhard Weber began to work and live in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province in 1994, the year Jiangsu started its sister relationship with Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany.
For 24 years, he has directly witnessed the partnership between the two regions and in 2011 he also won the Jiangsu Friendship Award presented by the provincial government to honor outstanding foreign experts.
Now, as the German state's chief representative in China, Bernhard Weber shared his story in cementing China-Germany ties in Nanjing City on Aug. 1 with JiangsuNow, a spinoff of the International Communication Department of Omnimedia Center, Xinhua Daily.
点击视频↓ 看魏博先生用流利中文接受专访:
1
24年“老江苏”是中德友谊使者
Envoy of bilateral friendship for over two decades
Starting his career in the home appliance industry, Weber now holds positions including Chair of the Nanjing Chapter of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, the Chief Representative of the State of Baden-Württemberg in China and General Manager of Baden-Württemberg International – Nanjing.
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江苏,投资市场越来越成熟
Jiangsu's investment market getting mature
1978年,十一届三中全会在北京召开,中国进入了改革开放的历史新时期,外资也逐渐进入中国市场。
Since the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee held in Beijing in1978, China has embarked a new historical journey of reform and opening up, attracting foreign capital gradually into the Chinese market.
In 2016, BSH Home Appliances established its Greater China R&D Center in Nanjing. With a total investment of 400 million yuan and a floor area covering 30,000 square meters, upon completion the center even became the company's R&D center for Asia.
Now, as the Chair of the Nanjing Chapter of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, the Chief Representative of the State of Baden-Württemberg in China, Weber is more than ever committed to introducing China's investment environment to companies of different sizes in Baden-Württemberg, in particular, some small and medium-sized innovative enterprises.
Weber said in recent years many Jiangsu enterprises have invested in Baden-Württemberg and Chinese companies have acquired several high-end German brands. He believes it marks a new beginning and a better start for both sides.
Weber told JiangsuNow that most of the food his family likes can be found locally and for years he himself has been a loyal customer of a bakery with authentic German bread and cakes in Nanjing.
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过去和未来,交流合作都是互惠共赢
Exchanges and cooperation are always mutually beneficial
China's reform and opening up has gone through an epic period of 40 years from 1978 to 2018. The pace of reform and opening up has not slowed and new developments in the new journey are quietly approaching.